


(Not) A Pet

by LadyoftheWoods



Category: Sanders Sides (Web Series)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Modern with Magic, Angst, Angst and Hurt/Comfort, Angst with a Happy Ending, Captivity, Deceit | Janus Sanders Angst, Fae Logic | Logan Sanders, Fear, Human Thomas Sanders, Hurt Deceit | Janus Sanders, Hurt/Comfort, Illnesses, Naga Deceit | Janus Sanders, Panic Attacks, Sympathetic Anxiety | Virgil Sanders, Sympathetic Creativity | Roman "Princey" Sanders, Sympathetic Dark Creativity | Remus "The Duke" Sanders, Sympathetic Deceit | Janus Sanders, Sympathetic Logic | Logan Sanders, Sympathetic Morality | Patton Sanders, Tiny Deceit | Janus Sanders, elemental remus, elemental roman, shedding problems
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-09-18
Updated: 2020-11-19
Packaged: 2021-03-08 04:08:03
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 11
Words: 17,243
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26519518
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/LadyoftheWoods/pseuds/LadyoftheWoods
Summary: Janus is a Naga in a pet shop. He refuses to act pliant, refuses to be a pet, refuses to let them break him. And then he's bought, but his new owner seems not at all like he'd expect, friends with other tinies of various kinds. He doesn't trust it. He doesn't trust anything. But he's going to have to, sooner rather than later. His shed is about to start and in days, he'll be blind and so weak he would never be able to defend himself.
Comments: 81
Kudos: 445





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> Help. My muse is once again working overtime. I'm working on like three new au's with absolutely no roadmap for any of them.

He was coiled tight in the corner of the cage. He could hear the hustle and bustle of the pet shop dimly, muted through the glass of the cage, the only thing that stupid barrier was good for. The top of the cage was fine mesh wire, he could reach it easily enough by climbing up the decorations in the cage, but no matter how hard he shoved, striking it with all his might, he couldn’t tear it. It just cut his hands, arms, red lines digging into his skin, and he knew if it got noticeable to the humans he’d be taken to the vet, and he did not want that. 

It was impossible, anyway. Even if he somehow managed to tear the mesh, there wasn’t room for him to wiggle out. The mesh was almost flush against the heating and uv light shining into the cage, and for the humans to open it, they needed a key, then slid the cage outwards, then lifted the top. He’d tried to bolt for the opening a few times, but that led to him being very unpleasantly sprayed with cold water, and the top had been slammed down. Any time they opened it to feed him was now proceeded with a spray of ice cold water to keep him sluggish and away. It had the added effect of making him shivery and ill.

He’d been marked as aggressive, and wore that title with pride. He hissed, bared his fangs as soon as anyone showed any interest in him. He struck at the glass when people looked through it, tapped it, feeling a vicious satisfaction at their surprised shrieks of fear. He’d drawn blood from a few of the workers, when they’d opened the top to feed him or try and take him out, coiling and striking and hissing, until they’d even given up on trying to wrangle him out for cage cleanings. Everyone was afraid of him, and he took some bitter joy in that, in the knowledge that by now he was costing them money, as he scared away anyone who cared to look his way. 

If he’d been a pliant, obedient little Naga, he’d be long sold by now, and he knew they knew it too, and it drove the managers insane. His scales were bright, brilliant gold patterned with dark swirls of ebony, sparkling and shimmering with irridesence. His skin, where his tail shifted to his torso, head and arms, was a honey brown, one eye a deep brown, the other a striking gold that matched his scales, his hair soft and dark. He was stunning. And he’d mangle any fingers that came near him, his venom was weak against beings so large, but it hurt like a wasps’ sting, and he didn’t hesitate to use it, and it cut through those flimsy protective gloves like butter. 

He was tired, though he didn’t show it. He could feel the lethargy, he’d refused to eat, only barely drinking any water, to keep himself alive, but he wouldn’t eat the disgusting food they put in there for him. It had been nearly a month, and it was starting to wear on him. And he could feel his scales growing duller, the light film starting to cover them, the slight elastic feel of his skin stretching, of scales itching against scales signaling his shed. 

He couldn’t shed here. He couldn’t go through that here. It would leave him exhausted and tired, barely able to move, weak, even weaker than normal because of his not eating, and he’d lose his vision as the skin across his face started to die until he’d be completely blind, and he couldn’t do this here without them taking advantage of it.

His exhaustion is the only reason he was caught off guard. He should have heard, should have listened closer, when the voices stopped moving, hovering outside his tank. He should have looked up at the arguing tone one of the sales employees had, speaking with someone with a deeper voice, just as determined. A few minutes passed and there were no more voices, and he thought he was in the clear. 

Then his stomach flipped as he felt the cage sliding open, bracing himself against the glass of the back corner, barely able to get his bearings before the snake hook was coming at him, a gloved hand far above. He hissed, dodging out of the way, burrowing under the bedding, trying to hide, but the metal wrapped under him, and his body instictivly curled around it as he was lifted. He hissed again, moving quickly, slithering up the hook, to the person’s hand, fangs bared and ready to bite, and the person yelped, and then he was falling, falling, falling, landing hard, air knocked out of his lungs, darkness flickering through his mind from the impact, head spinning, staring up at the bright white of the store’s ceiling. Then darkness closed over him, and he realized he was in a box. 

In a box. A box. He’d been sold. In a box. 

He curled tight, dizziness overtaking him as he coiled in on himself, hands clutching at his head, which continued to spin as panic set in. He could distantly hear arguing, voices that were too loud, but they were blocked out by the cotton in his ears, the vertigo as he felt the box lift, move, then his fear overwhelmed him and he blacked out.


	2. Chapter 2

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Janus meets his new 'owner', who isn't at all like he'd expect, and meets Patton, who seems to trust the human.

He woke slowly, frowning as he opened his eyes and didn’t see anything. His shed couldn’t possibly be this far along already, not for another week at least. Then he heard a shuffle and realized he was on cardboard and it all came roiling back to the surface. 

He grimaced, feeling a bump on his head, his entire torso bruised from the hard landing, aching as he moved as quietly as possible. It was dark, but there were small airholes higher up the box, and he knew it was just folded cardboard. He could get out of this. 

If he could get out of this, he could get to outside, and then he’d be free. The thought was painfully tantalizing, as he shifted to the corner of the box, where the cardboard was layered over itself, and he started pulling, shoving, using his tail as leverage. He felt it shifting, felt it almost giving way, before he heard the footsteps approach, then light flooded in, making it too bright, and he hissed, drawing back, trying not to shake. 

“sorry, sorry, I know it’s bright. Listen, I’m gonna tip the box on its side you can come out if you want, ok?” The voice asked. He didn’t answer, and after a long, silent pause, he felt the box shift, until it was laying flat on the table. 

He waited a moment, then bolted out, heedless of anything else, of the brightness after so long in the dark, of the bruise spreading across his body, the ache of his impending shed, as he beelined for the edge of the table, wincing as the rough wood pulled and ripped at his skin, tearing some of it not ready to come off yet. He didn’t care how long the drop was, he could handle it, if he could get out, he could handle the fall-

Then arms blocked off his path, slamming down around him with the finality of a death toll, and he recoiled, but there was nowhere to go, nowhere to go, and he was shaking again, because he was trapped, and exhaustion was already washing over him, begging him to give in and collapse, but he wouldn’t. 

“sorry, you were headed right for the edge, I didn’t want you to fall. I’m going to move back now, ok? Just be more careful and stay away from the edges.” He nods curtly, and the arms draw back, leaving him nearly weak from relief as he coils backwards, away from the human, as far as he could get without being close enough to the edge to warrant the human grabbing him. 

“ok. Good. I’m Thomas, what’s your name?” He scoffed, baring his fangs. No way in hell was he telling that to a stranger, much less to a human, his name was the only thing he had left, he’d die before he told this man, Thomas, anything. The shadow of Thomas moved, and he flinched, waiting for the spray of cold water, the punishment, for not doing what he was told. 

“You don’t want to speak?” Thomas asked, and hesitantly, he nodded again. “that’s ok. You don’t have to do anything you don’t want to, ok?” He squinted his eyes hesitantly, still not looking up at the human, keeping his gaze averted, feeling twitchy under the scrutiny, wanting to run, but forcing himself to stay still. He felt the human sigh, and he tensed further as he felt the table move slightly, chancing a glance up.

The human was resting his head on his hands on the edge of the table, as close to his height as he could be, large brown eyes looking down at him, setting him on edge, even though they didn’t seem clinical or cold or curious, even, just… warm and sympathetic. 

“I know I can’t imagine how scary this all has been for you. It’s… it shouldn’t be legal, to keep you like that, to keep intelligent, thinking, feeling beings locked up like that.” 

“Then why…” He rasps, voice hoarse and dry and cracking from disuse, he can’t even remember the last time he spoke aloud, and it hurts, but he has to know, “why did you buy me?” 

“I want to help. Listen, I’ll set you down outside an you can leave right now if you want.” His heart swells with hope, he wants it, he wants so badly to just go, but his caution holds him back. It’s new territory, a new area, he doesn’t know where would be safe to nest, he doesn’t know where to find food and water, and he doesn’t have the time or energy to find them, knows that once the adrenaline wears off, he’ll crash. “I’ve also set up a little area for you, if you want to hang around. It’s a bit short notice, but I have it set up in a quiet corner of the house. No one will bother you, I won’t interact with you if you don’t want me to, I can just leave food and water near for you. I can show you, where the little cat flap is, so you can get outside.” His brain was overwhelmed trying to understand what was happening, right now. 

“You’d… you’d let me go? Let me come and go? You’d leave me alone?” He asked, tail twitching slightly. 

“Yes. We would.” His hair stands up at that, the ‘we’. Who else is there? 

“Thomas! You’re home!” He flinched at the new voice, watching a bit incredulously as a Sparrow flew through the open window, perching atop Thomas’s head. He had the soft wings and tawny feathers of a bluebird, his legs dark little bird’s, while his chest was covered in soft feathers, but human like, his arms folded, his eyes a sky blue to match his wings, his face freckled and hair curly and tawny. 

“Hey, Pat. How’s it going?” Thomas asked, smiling, trying to tilt his eyes up to see Patton, though it was impossible. 

“Oh, just egg-celent! I love it when it’s sunny outside, even if Virgil disagrees. I was playing in the birdbath earlier. Oh! Who’s this?” Pat(?) asked, noticing himself for the first time, fluttering down to the table. 

“Hi kiddo, I’m Patton! What’s your name?” He hopped towards him too quickly, too sharply, got too close, and it triggered something in him. He coiled, striking, just barely missing Patton, who took to the air with a yelp as his fangs closed on empty space, and he lay sprawled across the table, curling tight once more, shaking. 

“sssorry… I’m…” he hissed out, shaking harder, trembling really, sure now he would get hurt, or kicked out, or punished, he curled tight, waiting for the splash of ice cold water. 

“It’s ok, kiddo. It’s ok. I moved too fast and startled you, didn’t I?” Patton said, voice soft, though it felt like light years away. He barely managed a nod, not that Patton could see it, with how tight he’s coiled himself into knots. “I get a little excited sometimes, and act before I think. I’m sorry. Can I come closer, kiddo?” 

“Y-yessss.” He hissed, feeling the vibrations as Patton hopped closer. 

“I’m going to touch you now, kiddo.” Patton said softly, and he shivered as he felt a soft touch against his scales, sliding strangely atop the papery layer of old above the new, before gently disentangling himself from around himself, until Patton reached his shoulders, his face, and he shuddered again at the feeling of warmth against his skin. 

Then he was warm, all over, he was warm. It rushed through his soul, his marrow, his heart, it burned and swirled and pulsed and was too hot and too much and too strong, but not enough all at once, and he let out a soft moan, folding further into the warmth, realizing he was being hugged, Patton was hugging him, and he didn’t fight the tears streaming down his face, the desire to hold on, he held on for all he was worth, sure he was never, never letting go. 

“Oh, honey. I know, let it all out, honey.” Patton murmured, only half surprised when the Naga’s soft cries died out, his breathing deepening as he slipped into an exhausted sleep. 

“poor baby. Where did you find him, Thomas?” Patton murmured, careful not to wake him. He seemed like he desperately needed the sleep. 

“I got a message from a friend of a friend who worked at the pet shop he was in. Just said they’d heard what we do, and thought he could use the help. That they had a Naga in a bad way.” Patton’s nose had crinkled at the mention of ‘pet shop’, and Thomas felt much the same. Patton had never been in one, but it seemed awful. “He had a bit of a fall, when they put him in the box. Is he… ok?” Thomas asked, and Patton hummed, gently feeling around. 

“Just bruised up, I think. But… he’s a bit warm. I think he might be sick.” Thomas sighed, leaning back in his chair.

“yeah, I’m not surprised. They said he hasn’t eaten anything since he got there, so a month at least. And I don’t know how long ago he got caught. I don’t want to keep him up here, but he can’t be alone right now…” 

“I'll get Logan. He'll know how to help. For now, let's move him to the space you set up for him. Just being somewhere safe and quiet should be enough.” Thomas nodded, biting his lip as he carefully scooped the Naga into his cupped hands, moving exceedingly slowly so as not to scare or disturb him. He was so small, about five inches head to tail, most of it his tail, and he once again curled into knots as he moved.

He’d set up a little terrarium in the back of the house near the back door, filled it with soft bedding and food and water, a couple soft cloths for blankets. He’d draped a blanket over half the cage, to darken it comfortably for sleeping. It was plain, but it would do for now, as he carefully slid the naga off his hand. He watched for a moment, making sure he was still out of it before doing the hardest part.

Turning and walking away.

Because he wanted to help, he so badly wanted to stay and help and provide comfort and reassurance, but he knew the naga did not want him there, that he would only scare him more, so as much as it hurt to leave him alone, he had to, and trust that Patton and Logan would be able to be there for him.


	3. Chapter 3

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Patton tries to help. He makes a misstep.

“Logan!” Patton called, flitting into the woods just outside Thomas’s small yard, unable to help a little chirp from escaping at how nice it felt outside, before focusing back on the mission at hand. “Lo!” 

“Here.” The voice was deep and slightly sonorous, as the shadow of a tree stretched strangley, and suddenly there was a man standing there. He wore odd clothing, a long sleeved, old fashioned shirt, under a vest that seemed to be made of woven plant fibers. His pants were dark, seemingly a patchwork of deep green leaves, and his shoes soft moccosins. His ears were pointed and his hair was long, moss and flowers growing in it, part of it, his skin also slightly tinted green. Patton landed on his outheld hand, settling his wings quickly. “What is it, Patton?” 

“There’s a new arrival. Thomas just brought him home. We were wondering if you could take a look, I think he might be ill. He’s a naga, was in a pet shop.” He noticed Logan’s lips curl at that term, revealing slightly pointed teeth, eyes flashing for a moment, before he reigned himself in. 

“Of course.” He transferred Patton to his shoulder as he walked back to the house, until they reached the back door. Then Patton flitted inside and he closed his eyes, letting himself shrink down, smaller and smaller, until he was the right size, just an inch taller than Patton, and entered the house, immediately seeing the little set up tucked against the corner, Patton already feeling the naga’s forehead, cooing softly. 

He winced at the rough bruising forming across his torso, purple so deep it was near black, though that seemed the worst of it, before reaching out and feeling his forehead. It was a bit warm, but not enough he was truly concerned. What did catch his attention was how the skin shifted, and he looked closer. Sure enough, he could see spots on the naga’s tail where the skin had already torn, though it was clearly too early to, and no doubt hurt, the scales duller than they should be, as the skin died and stretched.

A shed was a highly sensitive time for a creature, and could be dangerous in a situation like this, where the naga was clearly already weakened and slightly ill. The stress would make it hard on his body and mind, no doubt he was terrified what would happen, when he was weak and blind and defenseless. He bristled again at the thought of a pet shop, of him going through this there, of what the humans might do to an uncooperative ‘pet’ when he couldn’t fight back.

“I’m not concerned about a fever, yet, however, keep a close eye on it. I wouldn’t be surprised if it does become an issue. He is about to start his shed. This is a sensitive time, and a terrifying one, no doubt, being in the position he is in. He needs to eat something, build some strength up, his body is running through even more energy than usual, now, in creating and hardening the new scales. In a couple days I’d expect his old skin to be ready to peel but… before that he will be weak and exhausted and nearly if not completely blind. No doubt his vision is already going. Patton, you need to be extremely careful. Not only because this could be rather touch and go, but because if he is startled he will lash out to protect himself, and you are small enough his venom could kill you, and quickly.” Patton nodded, looking serious, for once, which abated his worries a little. 

“Ok. I’ll be careful, Logan. If it gets too dangerous for me I’ll get Thomas. Now, what can I do to help?”   
…  
He was tired, so tired, but something dragged him to the surface of awareness. He blinked open his eyes, trying to place where he was, what was happening, but his vision was blurred. He remembered, after a moment. Being bought. Thomas. But…

Bars. Bars overhead. He was trapped, once again, he was trapped, and he’d been an idiot, he’d actually believed, because Patton, but no, they lied, of course they did, and he could feel the tears starting to fall, he didn’t have the will to stop them. 

“oh kiddo.” He pulled back at Patton’s soft voice, arms wrapping tight around himself as he shivered. 

“G-go. Just… leave… please, just leave.” His voice cracked, as he coiled his tail around himself, searching for warmth. 

“What’s wrong, bud?” He let out a bitter laugh. 

“for a moment I actually thought… I actually…” He broke off, letting out a weak hiss at a touch on his shoulder. 

“You’re not trapped. I promise. Come here, see?” He reluctantly followed the soft tug on his hand, blinking his vision clear, though it remained blurry. He watched as Patton stepped out from the cage and onto the floor, and he realized the entire side of bars was missing, open. He could get out. If he wanted, he could get out, and past Patton he could feel the waft of fresh air, he could see the cat flap they’d mentioned. He couldn’t stop staring at it, breath caught in his throat, with want and fear. 

“Do you wanna go outside?” Patton asked, and he hesitated. “It’s ok, bud. No one’s gonna hurt you, ok? It’s safe. I can come with you, if you want, but I don’t have to.” He didn’t know how he felt about Patton, but he couldn’t go outside alone, and he needed someone there. 

“yes. Please.” He whispered, feeling the vibrations of Patton coming closer. 

“Ok. I’m gonna touch you now, alright? It’s gonna be bright outside, but I’ve got you, I promise.” He nodded again, letting Patton gently take his hand, leading him out and to the door. 

He hissed as they slipped outside, because Patton was right, it was so, so bright, he had to squeeze his eyes shut and it still burned, but Patton kept tugging him on, and after a moment it darkened slightly, enough he could squint open his eyes, start adjusting. 

They were in the shade, under a potted plant on the back porch, just a small area of concrete, really, but even in the shade the ground was warm. After just a foot, the concrete gave way to grass, then to a pleasant looking small woods. Shakily, he stretched out a hand, inhaling sharply as the light fell on it, the warmth instantly soaking into his skin. Slowly, he slithered forwards, wary and alert, though the warmth of the sun fought against his senses, and soon he was stretched out to his full extent, arms cushioning his head as he lay down, face up, staring up at the sky. 

Warmth. Warmth radiating from everywhere, from all sides, from every angle. The sunshine sunk into his scales, into his bones, kissed his skin, the cement beneath him delightfully toasty, like a heating rock but much, much better, and when was he last out in actual sunlight, actually allowed space to stretch and bask and not fear for his life? 

He was crying again, but he didn’t care. The warmth was overwhelmingly wonderful, impossible to replicate no matter what they said about UV lights, and the air… oh, the air. It was sweet with the scent of warm grass and wildflowers, slightly damp earth, the heady scent of the pines drifting from the woods, it was… it was glorious. But it was dangerous. Out in the open like this, he was just asking to be eaten by a crow or hawk or something. 

“are you gonna fall asleep, again?” Patton asked softly, and he flinched, he’d forgotten the Sparrow was there, and while he’d been kind so far, he didn’t trust his relationship with Thomas. 

“No.” He replied sharply, managing to open his eyes and turn his head, so he was eyeing Patton warily. “Why?” 

“Because you look exhausted. And you should really eat something, especially with your shed-“ He coiled up in an instant, all the languidness of moments before vanishing instantly as his tail whipped back and forth. The signs weren’t obvious, especially to someone with no experience with nagas, patton shouldn’t know. 

“What do you know about my shed?” He snarled, hissing a warning as Patton hopped closer, the Sparrow stopping his movement at the action, hands raised in surrender. 

“Easy, kiddo. I had my friend Logan take a look at you-“ He hissed again, louder, fear pounding through him. Someone had examined him, looked at him, poked and prodded and handled him, what else had they done, what else would they do while he slept, while he was unconscious, while he was unable to defend himself? What if Thomas knew? 

Patton was speaking, he knew he was, but he couldn’t hear him, his pulse pounded in his ears, he was shaking, then Patton’s hand reached out, towards him, and he swiped out with his sharp nails, almost claws, he heard Patton call for Thomas, call for Logan, but he didn’t wait around to see what his punishment would be.

He took off, as fast as his adrenaline allowed, in moments he was in the grass, speeding away, hidden from view, already feeling safer in the tall greenery, then the soft carpet of leaves and pine needles of the forest, brain screaming run, run, run, run!


	4. Chapter 4

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Two someones find Janus.

Night had fallen. And with night, came cold. It would have been fine on its own, he could have burrowed down under some leaves, managed to keep warm, but then the rain came. Fat, cold droplets, and he pressed himself back against the trunk of a large tree, shivering. The worst of the rain couldn’t get through the canopy, but water still dripped from the leaves, ran down the trunk, dampened the ground, and it wasn’t long before he was soaked through. 

His mind was getting sluggishly slow, his few movements fumbling and clumsy. He was too cold, he was getting too cold, but there was nothing he could do, nowhere he could go, he didn’t know the way back to the house even if he wanted to go back.

His head shot up at a distant sound, almost a scream. A few moments later came another, louder, closer, more of a whoop than anything else, and he pressed back harder, trying to make himself smaller as suddenly wind whirled past the tree, the whoop right next to him. 

“Well, well, out for a stroll on a rainy day when a little bitty snakey came my way” a voice singsonged, a figure coalescing in front of him. He didn’t even hesitate, striking with his fangs, pushing venom into them, startled as the figure simply parted around him, sending him sprawling off balance before recovering quickly, glaring at the figure as they cackled. “Ooooh little snakey wants to play! What game, what game, what game, will you choose?” 

“N-n-none. Leave me alone!” He hissed, unable to stifle the round of hacking coughs that burned his chest, leaving him dizzy and breathless. He felt touch against his chin and snapped once more, once again getting nothing but air, jumping at the tap on his shoulder from behind. 

“You don’t look so good, friendo. Must be scary, so little in the big wide world! Anything could come along and crush you. Wonder what it would feel like, a big bad beast squishing you under their hoof or shoe, or paws.” The words swirled around him almost like a physical barrier, digging into his mind. 

“Ssstop.” 

“What’s the matter? Afraid I’ll eat you up?” The voice cackled again and he felt his chest squeeze, as if the air was closing in on him. “tear you apart?” 

“Then just do it!” He yelled, and instantly the pressure vanished, the voice quieting, the woods instantly silent, and he realized the rain had stopped, the only sound his own ragged breathing. “Then just do it. Stop taunting me and kill me already!” he screamed, shaking, breaking down into another fit of coughs, doubling over from the force of them, numb from the cold. A few more hours of exposure and he’d be dead, no doubt about it, might as well let this creature, whatever it was, kill him quickly.

“Remus!” A new voice scolded, voice harsh, and he heard the higher voice, Remus, whine slightly, then felt a warmth move closer. 

“Don’t. D-don’t touch me!” He growled, barely able to see, through his haze of exhaustion and the dying skin, just able to make out two glowing outlines of nebulous forms, one red and one green. 

“Sorry about him. He means well, but gets a bit wild, especially with the rain. It’s quite literally his element.” The voice was almost as warm as the heat he could feel radiating off of him, and it took all his might not to lean into it, to lean closer. 

“W-who… wh-what are you?” 

“Elementals. I’m Roman. I’m a fire elemental, and that idiot is Remus, he’s a water elemental.” Well. That explained a bit. He’d never actually met one, but he knew elemental’s tended to be chaotic and unpredictable at the best of times, and their power grew the stronger connection they had to their element. They could shift and change forms as they pleased, sometimes nothing more than a passing breeze, other times appearing as faeries, or even humans. 

“what are you going to do to me?” He whispered, shaking harder at the gentle touch against his skin, gasping at the soft heat that slowly spread across every inch of his body, warming him up from the inside out. 

“Remus, little help.” Roman muttered, and after a moment he felt all the moisture vanish from his hair, his scales, the ground around him, leaving him dry and warm. 

“You’re a creature of sunlight and warmth. Therefore it is my duty to protect you. I will not let any harm befall you.” He wouldn’t trust those words coming from anyone else, anything else, but Roman’s tone was serious and certain, tipping his chin so they met eye to eye, the promise burning there with fire. “I swear.” 

“there m-might be others l-looking for me, don’t t-tell them, don’t-“ 

“I might be crazy but I’m not a snitch. We aren’t telling anyone a thing.” Remus chimed in, much lighter, though his eyes were no less serious. 

“May I?” Roman asked, stepping closer, and he nodded, closing his eyes with a soft hum as the warmth overtook him, surrounding him, and he felt himself being lifted into the air, still cushioned as if he were laying on fluffed up pillows, as they began to move. Despite himself, the warmth and the steady movement lulled him into a half sleep.  
…  
Patton couldn’t stop crying. He was perched on the couch with a thimbleful of warm tea, a soft blanket wrapped around his shoulders, feathers ruffled and disheveled. 

“Pat, it’s not your fault.” Thomas reassured for the thousandth time. 

“he was so sc-scared! I shouldn’t have told him ab-out Logan, I should have known-"

“You were only trying to help. We knew he was jumpy. I… I’m not surprised this happened. I know it sucks but he's free to leave, Pat. The plan was never to keep him here if he didn’t want to stay.” He reminded Patton gently.

“I know. But he’s out there all alone and scared and probably sick, and it’s raining and c-cold…” Patton trailed off sniffling.

“Logan and Virgil are looking for him. They’ll find him and make sure he’s at least safe. He can’t have made it too far. He’s nearby, we know that.” Thomas soothed, though his own anxiety twinged at the thought of the naga outside alone right now. He was praying Logan or Virgil would find him, at least find a sign of him. “it’ll be ok.” He repeated, carefully stroking a finger down Patton's back, smoothing out the feathers there.

“I hope so.”


	5. Chapter 5

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Logan and Virgil look for Janus.

“Anything?” Logan asked, as Virgil hovered before him. He had the wings of a brown bat, and his whole body was slightly furred, though he had arms and legs and a human head, with large bat ears, allowing for the use of echolocation.

“No. No sign. Nothing out of the ordinary. No one else has seen anything either.” Virgil was the only Bat living in the area, rare for his kind, but there were other colonies of purely bats nearby, and he was able to communicate with them as easily as with humans. They covered a fairly wide area of forest, if none of them had seen anything…

“There is someone we haven’t checked with, yet.” Logan mused, and Virgil groaned. 

“You can’t be serious.” 

“If neither of us have found him yet, it is more than likely they did.” 

“You know they won’t tell us anything. Even if they do have him, they wouldn’t let us in.” Virgil grumbled. 

“Perhaps, but do you want to tell Patton we have no idea where he is or if he’s safe?” That was met with another groan and a defeated sigh. 

“Exactly what I thought.”   
…  
“We just want to know if you’ve seen him.” 

“Why should I tell you anything?” Remus’s voice, though he didn’t recognize the other. 

“Because Patton and Thomas are worried out of their minds.” He shivered, trying to coil tighter, afraid again. 

“It’s ok. Remus will take care of them.” That warm voice that belonged to Roman. 

“Well bully for them. Aren’t you both such good people? Way to go, rescuing the poor abused pet.” Remus scoffed. 

“What is your problem?! You know they’re just trying to help!” A different voice, though no less frustrated. 

“My problem? Uh, bitch, what is your problem? If he ran away he clearly doesn’t want to be found, and maybe you should reevaluate your methods if whatever you did caused him to freak that hard!” There was a moment of silence, then a defeated sigh. 

“I am aware we made a mistake. We should have asked if would allow me to look at him, before doing so. I should have warned Patton not to casually mention a shed, as I knew it was a sensitive topic. We were blinded by our own desire to help and did not consider how our actions would be perceived. If you do see him, please simply pass that along. And if he would like any of our assistance, he simply needs to ask for it. We will do nothing without his permission, or without you as an added protection, if he prefers, if you do come upon him. We will not look for him further, as we do not wish to cause undue stress. We don’t mean any harm, we just wish to give him any aid he may need, no matter what that is. You and Roman can attest to that.” 

“Great. Now go away.” Remus dismissed. He heard the sound of a door slamming, then felt the vibrations of footsteps approaching. “Hey there, little snake. How you feeling?” Remus asked, instantly softer than he’d been mere moments earlier, and he whined as he felt a gentle touch ghost across his forehead. “Oh, does snakey wanna snuggle?” Usually he’d bristle at the crooning, slightly mocking tone, but he found he didn’t have the resolve for it at the moment. Instead, he burrowed against the warmth as he felt arms come around him, hearing a soft chuckle as he realized his tail had coiled around Remus, not squeezing, just holding him, wrapping the two of them up together. “I’ll take that as a yes.” Came the soft reply, hands carding through his hair. 

He blearily managed to crack open his eyes, though the world seemed fuzzy and shifted from moment to moment, his stomach twisting unpleasantly, his body aching all over, though he is cozily, perfectly, warm. 

“Y’didn’t tell ‘em.” He mumbled, voice scratchy and slurred. 

“Of course. You said you didn’t want them to know. And I can understand why. Those idiots, what were they thinking?” Roman muttered, and he turned his head, just barely able to make out the glow of him, scowling at the door. They appeared to be inside a tree trunk, hollowed out and carved into a cozy living space. 

“he’s right. Imma shed sssoon. T-wo days, I think.” He commented, closing his eyes as his head spun once more. 

“Alright. We’ll help, ok? You’re safe. Just let yourself rest, and we’ll take care of everything.” Roman’s voice again, reassuring and gentle, and he let out a little hum of agreement, slipping away again.  
…  
“Poor thing. They scared him half to death.” Roman murmured, letting more warmth radiate out from him, the naga practically melting into a puddle on the floor at the warmth, his hold on Remus loosening enough he could easily wriggle free if he wanted to. He didn’t. 

He settled on the floor in the middle of the now loose rings of coils, draping the naga across his lap, running his hands through his hair, frowning at the round of coughs that wracked through the naga’s form, tail curling just slightly, going limp as the coughs stopped, though his breath still seemed wheezy. 

“He’s sick. That’s not good. He’s so weak already, with a shed… the stress on his body could kill him. I get why they went to Logan, but the way they did it was wrong.” Remus commented. 

“The way they did it is the reason he’s this bad. Pnemonia, I think. We should have enough for me to make the medicine. Or to quickly grow whatever we need, between the two of us.” Roman replied, making a small orb of light, setting it hovering above the spot on the floor the naga and Remus seemed uninclined to move from any time soon, so even when he left, the sunlight and warmth the naga so desperately needed would stay. “would be just a cold, if he hadn’t gotten caught out in the rain.” He grumbled, grabbing a blanket and throwing it over the two of them, the naga instantly burrowing under it, hiding nearly his entire body underneath it. The position at least allowed Remus to scoop him up, moving him to the bed, cushioned with soft downy feathers and rose petals, lush moss and grass, and Roman moved the orb so it was set above him, warming him gently. 

“I’ve got him, Ro. You go do your happy thoughts and pixie dust mumbo jumbo, and stop complaining.” Roman rolled his eyes, flicking a few sparks at Remus, who simply grinned, forming a raincloud over his head, dousing him before he had a chance to burn it away. 

“You’re dead to me.” Roman muttered, laughter still in his eyes as he turned up the stairs. 

“Wouldn’t have it any other way!”


	6. Chapter 6

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The shed is finally over.

He was hot. He was too hot. He was too hot, and scratchy, everything itched, everything felt wrong, and he needed out, he needed out, and he needed it off! 

He rolled, trying to loosen the suffocating thing wrapped around him, trying to escape it, but it clung to him, it squeezed the air out of him, it was too tight and scratchy and stiff, and he reached up, clawing at himself, trying to loosen it, trying to scratch away the film covering him, hissing as it hurt. It shouldn’t hurt. It shouldn’t hurt, it was ready to come off, it should slide off easily, something was wrong!

“hey, hey, hey. None of that now.” A soft voice, energy much dimmer and quieter than he remembers it being for some reason. He tried to summon words, instead choking on the heat of his lungs, a small whimper escaping him at the ache in every part of his body, trying to open his eyes, but the world stayed completely black. 

“Here, little snake, can you drink this for me?” A cup was held to his lips, and he didn’t have the strength to fight or shove it away, even if he wanted to, but he found he… didn’t. 

It was sweet. It had honey in it, he could tell, masking the bitterness of some of the other ingredients perhaps, but the instant it hit his throat, he sagged in relief, easily taking the rest of it. It was a complete balm to everything that ached, it instantly soothed the cough building in his chest, the tightness that had taken up residence in his lungs. 

“good, that’s good, little snake. We’re gonna get you a little bath now, ok? Those scales are being kinda clingy, and we need to get them off.” He tensed at the mention of water, remembering icy cold, that left him shivering and scared and hurt. “shh, shh, shh, it’s ok, little snake. It’s nice and toasty for you. Here, feel it.” He felt a slight shift, his hand dipped into water. It was nice, warm, it felt so good, nothing like that miserable spray bottle from the pet shop. He slithered into it easily, letting out a small hum of contentment, the final vestiges of discomfort fleeing at the warmth easing into his muscles, relaxing them completely, soothing the itch that was his entire body. “Is that nice, little hisser?” The voice asked, amused but almost as warm as the water surrounding him. Remus, he remembered, that’s the voice, Remus and Roman. No doubt the bath was a collaborative effort. 

“not surprised… not exactly been able to care for them… ‘r been healthy at all, really. Should be off by now, should be finished.” He mumbled, hating that he couldn’t see anything, that was always the worst part. He felt a hand gently trail up his arm, into his hair, massaging his scalp, and he melted further, sinking down deeper into the tub. 

“I know, little snake. The soak will help loosen it, and we’re gonna get it all off of you, ok? Just a little longer, and then you’ll be right as rain.”

“janus. ‘M name is Janus.” He mumbled, drifting off into a light half sleep, still aware of the hand gently teasing through his hair, the noises around him, but unreactive to any. A defense mechanism, during his shed. He wouldn’t be able to truly sleep until it was over, and he already knew this one was problematic, drawing more from his energy reserves than it should, and if it drew much more, it would start taking the energy he needed for basic bodily functions, and kill him. He was already starved and weak, he couldn’t even remember the last time he ate anything, and he could feel his strength waning. He wouldn’t even be able to keep his head above water without Remus’s support, as he drifted.   
…  
Tearing. It sounded like paper, crinkled in his ears, and a shudder ran up his spine, from the tip of his tail to the tops of his ears. He wriggled, trying to free himself, relief breaking across him as he moved, feeling too old skin slough away easily, as he slid out of it, freeing his tail. He felt gentle hands on him, and he gasped as they eased the skin on his torso away, gently rubbing with a sponge and warm water at the places it stuck until it came free, and finally his torso and arms were loose. He lifted his hands and scrubbed at his face, the skin there easily cracking and falling away, leaving him free, fully free, as he collapsed backwards, more hands catching him as he exhaled shakily. 

It felt like he’d been lugging around a thousand pound weights, and they had just now been removed, it felt loose and free, and like he could breathe, once more, without suffocating on his own air, without the stretch of skin against skin, it was gone, it was done, it was over. His shed was over. And he was exhausted. 

He let the hands ease him back onto something, sighing at the softness, soothing against the new skin now exposed, not at all itchy or scratchy, a texture he could stand, most would be nearly intolerable right now. Something else equally soft was draped over him, and he quickly pulled it around him, hissing softly at the delightful feel of the fabric against him. He felt the hands start to draw away and whined, reaching out. 

“oh. Um, alright, I suppose.” He felt the soft thing he was on dip down, then there were hands against him once again, and he instantly pressed closer to the source, because they were warm, so warm, incredibly warm, and it popped and fizzed delightfully against his skin, burning in a pleasant, tingling way, as he nuzzled closer, the arms wrapping around him securely. “I’ve got you, Janus. I’ve got you. Get some real rest, now.” He blepped, happy to oblige, letting the warmth and rightness, the absolute rightness of being in his own skin, the softness against him, ease him into the deep, yawning abyss waiting to swallow him, not fighting the darkness as it dragged him under, completely and fully into a deep, dreamless, empty, sleep.  
…  
“Comfy over there?” Remus teased, and Roman rolled his eyes. 

“We both know he’s just using me for my warmth. Such a heartbreaker.” Roman replied, draping a hand across his forehead, fluttering his eyelashes in faux despair. 

“You’ll get over it.” He replied flippantly, and Roman chuckled, attention shifting back to Janus, who was curled against his chest, hands fisted into the fabric of his shirt, breathing deep and even. 

“His breathing is much better, and his chills seem to have abated. I don’t think he’s fully recovered, but he’s not in a dangerous way anymore. He really needs to eat something, and soon, but he needs the sleep just as badly. Now that we got the molt off, he can start actually regaining energy from sleep.” Roman commented, brushing his hands through Janus’s hair. 

“Listen to you, all smart, mr know it all. Makes me sick.” 

“Oh shut it. You know just as much about your own creatures as I do mine. If it were a selkie or a naiad you’d be all over them.” Remus just gave an over exaggerated sigh, belly flopping onto his own bed. 

“Well, duh. But it isn’t, and you’re the one curled up with a naga, so I get to tease you. Now shut up and go to sleep. There’s a storm coming, so I’m going out soon.” 

“Alright. Don’t fuck things up too badly. Try not to track in too much water.” He muttered, feeling Remus laugh, just a bare breeze blowing past him, slipping out under the door and into the night.


	7. Chapter 7

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Virgil runs into Remus.

“How’s it hanging, Batty Boy?” Virgil groaned, flapping his wings harder, trying to outpace the breeze circling around him, knowing already it was a futile effort, the green eyes shifting every time he tried to look directly at them, making him dizzy. 

“What do you want?” He bit out, weaving between branches, making it harder for Remus to follow him in his wind form. Too many small spaces, and though he was an excellent flier, he was nowhere near as technically skilled as Virgil, with his echolocation and flexible wings. 

“Can’t just fly with a friend for the night?” Virgil snorted, ducking under some leaves, flicking his legs up to kick them, showering Remus in ants, not that he cared. Still, it made him feel better. 

“We aren’t friends. I don’t even like you. You’re an egotistical stuck up maniac, who drenches me every time I run into you and delights in trying to spook me. So go away.” Virgil replied flatly. 

“Come on, making people wet is how I show my affection!” 

“Phrasing.” 

“Oh, I said it exactly how I meant it, batty boy!” Remus trilled and Virgil pulled to an abrupt stop, landing on a tree branch, glaring at the spot he could feel his echoes bouncing back from, where the swirling current of air thickened into an almost form, coalescing in his minds eye into the faint outline of a person. That was the one reason Remus hadn’t actually gotten the jump on him yet. His echolocation made Remus hiding from him, in any form, virtually impossible. Even if he wasn’t visible to the naked eye, he could still ‘see’ him. “Now, maybe if you started spilling some of that juicy backstory…” 

“Fuck off, Remus.” 

“Boo, you’re no fun. I hope all Bats aren’t as boring as you. I suppose that’s what happens when you get buddy buddy with a human.” Something flashed across Virgil’s face, the first hint of real emotion other than annoyance and mild distaste Remus had ever seen. And it sent an unusual pang of guilt through his chest, because the emotions were so fast and conflicting, pain, despair, longing, anguish, before it settled on the familiar anger and cold loathing that he hid behind.

“You act so high and mighty, don’t you, Remus, so above the rest of us. Did it ever occur to you I didn’t have any other choice!? That I didn’t even mean to?! Maybe if you actually used your brain before you opened your mouth I might be inclined to trust you with literally anything about me, but since you clearly are just a tremendously aggravating idiot, I’m warning you one last time to Leave. Me. Alone.” Virgil hissed, slightly sharp canines bared, dark eyes glinting dangerously, wings spread to take flight once more. 

“Wait! I... I’m sorry. You’re right, I don’t think before I speak, well I think, I just don’t not say whatever comes to mind. That’s not the point. I did seek you out for a reason, don’t tell Roman, but I came to update you on your lost little snake.” Virgil’s mouth opened and closed for few seconds, searching for words. 

“why? You seemed pretty pissed and unwilling to share anything with Logan.” He asked suspiciously. Remus finally settled into a physical form, something with eyes like a fly and dragonfly wings, and too many legs. 

“I was. Pissed, I mean. I still am. But I know… I know those guys mean well, even if they suck at reading a room. I’m not telling you anything specific. Just that in case you idiots didn’t figure it out already, we did find him. He was really sick, but he’s doing much better now, and we got all that shed off of him. He’s weak and exhausted and starving and still a little ill, but the big problem is fixed. So you can pass that on to Patton, so he stops losing his little bird brain over chasing off the kid. But I didn’t tell you anything, and you don’t know nothing about nothing. M'kay?” He asked with an over exaggerated wink. 

“I… will. I’ll let him know. That’s… that’s good. That’s really good. I…for the record I wouldn’t have let Logan see him without his permission. I… thank you, I guess?” 

“Of course. Just don’t say I never did nothin for ya! Oh, and it’s about to storm, so I’d suggest you hurry home, lest I make you moist once more.” Remus wiggled his eyebrows, and Virgil gagged. 

“Oh come on! We almost had, like, a moment!”

“I save all the sappy stuff for Roman. It’s kinda his niche, y’know? Anyways, see you soon, batty boy! Try not to get struck by lightening!” With that, Remus swept away, rushing away with the breeze, a second before a distant rumble filled the air, and Virgil felt raindrops starting to filter through the leaves. 

“dammit, Remus.” He muttered. Well, he was closer to the house than to his roost. Might as well head there, not like Thomas would be sleeping anyway. God knows that man had an egregious sleep schedule.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Coming up next, local emo's tragic backstory!


	8. Chapter 8

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Virgil's story.

He hadn’t meant for Thomas to see him, find him. He hadn’t meant to expose himself to a human at all, but he hadn’t been very aware at the time. 

He was a subspecies of what humans would call vampires.

There had been a small colony, of them, once. They’d lived in a hollow tree in a small copse of trees, near the very back of someone’s yard, it bordered on a small creek and loose other woods, overgrown with long grasses and wildflowers.

Bats weren’t meant to be alone. They were meant to fly together at night, wingtip to wingtip, meant to sleep snuggled close to each other, meant to be a community, an extended family. 

He didn’t even remember what their arms felt like, wrapped around him, hugging him, holding him close through the day. It had been so peaceful and wonderful and perfect. 

And then the humans must have found out. They must have found out they were there, because he barely remembered through the haze of panic and pain and fear, because the exterminators struck in the middle of the day without warning. Suddenly there was a cloying scent in the air, choking him, wheezing for air, suffocating him. Then his skin was burning, something searing and scalding on him, eating into his flesh, and he rolled, trying to get it off, get it off! 

He felt a faint waft of fresh air, not filled with the cloying scent filling the space, and he crawled towards it, finding a small hole in the hollow tree, just as the scent of smoke hit his nostrils, flames quickly spreading throughout the tree, singing his fur, filling his lungs as he desperately clawed at the hole, breaking through the bark, falling onto the grass. 

His vision was blurred, he saw figures, humans, wearing white suits, holding small hoses with nossels, fire eating the tree, and he could hear them, he could hear the ones left in his colony screaming, the cries quickly dying out even though they still rang in his ears.

Then one of the white suited humans noticed him, pointed at him and said something, and he stumbled to his knees, trying to run, barely making it a step before he felt pressure on his wings, gasping as they wrenched back painfully, the human grabbing him by them. He managed to twist and snap at them, surprising them into letting go, and the slight lift of air under his wings got them flapping, got him gaining altitude, though every moment sent agony through his bones, he could feel whatever acid had been sprayed into the tree still burning through his skin, and he couldn’t keep this up for long, but he had to get away, had to get away, had to get away! 

He didn’t know how far he’d flown, before he crashed to the ground, blacking out at the scorching pain of his wing impacting the earth, crumpling under his weight. 

He came too moments later, at the vibration of the ground, footsteps, coming closer. His breath caught and he curled up, trying to shield himself with his wings, whimpering at the movement, and the footsteps stopped. He shook, that sound had given him away, and then there was a shadow, over him, a human, and he hissed, trying to warn him off, warn him away. 

Instead, hands scooped him up, and he froze, squeezing his eyes shut, tears streaming down his face, heart pounding out of his chest. He was about to die. He was about to die, his colony was dead, everyone he’d ever known was dead, so why not him, too? He felt fingers brush over his wings, and he whined pitifully, even that subtle touch was fire racing up his nerves, sending a shudder gasping through him, chest heaving. 

The human was talking, he thought. Saying something softly, gently, but he couldn’t hear him. He was fading out, he was being held by a human, his colony was murdered, and he was in the palm of a human’s hand. He choked on a laugh, unable to contain the swelling darkness. 

He was never going to wake up again. He was going to die.   
…  
His wings burned. 

His whole body burned, and he couldn’t stop shaking, tremors racing through him, bitterness against the back of his throat and he retched, too exhausted to do anything else, to even open his eyes. 

He didn’t know where he was, it was dim, and there was something against his wings, something wrapping him up, and he weakly struggled against it, exhausting himself after only a few moments, head pounding. He could hear voices, coming closer, then light was let in to the dim space, and he curled tight once more, hissing weakly. 

“oh, honey.” The voice was soft, and he whimpered at a soft touch of his hair, someone like him, someone his size, safe, not a human, not a human, safe, and he felt tears slipping down his face once more, sobs wracking his body, and he didn’t even know why he was crying anymore, pain or fear or relief or everything all together. “oh, hi baby. You’re safe, ok? Imma help you, you’re safe. It’s ok.” He felt the hand brush through his hair again, before pain exploded against his skin, and he screamed, blacking out once more at the spreading fire.   
…  
“Here, honey, you need to eat something.” He whined as he was shifted upwards, though his attention was soon taken up by the cup held to his lips, the sweet scent of blood reaching through his haze, and he drank, until he felt full, for the first time in a long time, he felt full. “all done?” He nodded weakly, feeling the person shift away from him, leaving him leaning against something, a wall. “Ok. You were badly burned. It isn’t healing very well, so I need to change the bandages and use some of this salve, it’ll sting a little going on, but after that it’ll feel a lot better, ok? Here, this is what it feels like.” He felt hands carefully rub a lotion onto his hand. It felt a little cold, but it didn’t smell awful, and it did feel kinda nice. 

“ok.” He managed.

“Here, I’m gonna help you lay down on your belly, m’kay? That way I can spread out your wings. I’ve got a blanket spread out here, so it’ll be nice and soft for you.” He nodded again, inhaling sharply at the weight of arms around his shoulders, the pain of moving, aching and pounding in his bones, lingering even as he laid down on the blanket, chin resting on his arms, that motion exhausting him. “That’s good, kiddo. I’m gonna take the bandages off now. It’s… it’s gonna hurt.” 

“I know. Just… go for it.” He mumbled, hands fisting the fabric hard as he felt the fabric being pulled off his wings, the exposure to air making them ache, and he could feel the weight of blood caked onto them, the soot that still clung. He hissed, and just barely resisted jerking his wing away, pressing his forehead hard against the ground, tears springing to his eyes, at the burning tingling fire that spread through each patch of skin as the hands worked across it. 

“I’m Patton. What’s your name, kiddo?” 

“Virgil.” He grits out. 

“Virgil. That’s a nice name, honey.” He bit back a scream as Patton’s hand pressed against an apparently extra sensitive spot, managing to only whimper, gasping in breaths. “Oh, baby, I’m sorry. It’s just having a really hard time healing up.” 

“silver. Silver burns. Diluted s-silver in the w-water. Like acid.” He muttered. “exterminators found the n-nest… f-fire…” He cut off, unable to keep going through the pain from his wings, from his heart. 

“Oh. Oh sweetie, I’m sorry, I’m so sorry. You’re safe though, alright? You’re safe. Thomas found you outside, do you remember that? He’s a human, but he’s nothing like those awful people. He helps tinies like us. I promise.” He didn’t know if he believed Patton, that Thomas was safe, but it’s not like he had anywhere else to go, anyway, it’s not like they could hurt him any more than he’s already hurt. “You’re in his house right now. He set up a little box for you, it’s in a room he doesn’t really use, so it’s nice and quiet and dark, but the door is open, and so is the window, ok? You’re not trapped or stuck here. You can leave whenever you feel like it, whenever you want, though I would rather you stayed, until you get better.” He could feel it, the slight air current blowing through the room, through the open window, so Patton wasn’t lying, about that at least. “there we go. All done.” 

He hadn’t even realized Patton had moved on to the other wing, he was too lost in thought, he might have drifted off, especially now, with the salve on his wings. Patton was right, it had stung going on, but now a soothing, cool, tingling had taken over, numbing them and easing the ache, letting him breath easy as his grip on the blanket loosened. 

“thanks.” He mumbled, relief lacing his voice. 

“Of course, honey.” He felt a hand brush through his hair, and he melted against it, hands reaching out pleadingly. Instantly, he felt arms come around him, and he curled close to the warmth, letting out another deep breath as he felt something warm and soft settle over him, feathers brushing his cheek, a hand softly stroking through his hair and gentle humming sending him off to sleep.   
…  
It had taken weeks, for his burns to fully heal, for the fur to start growing back in. It took him almost as long to start trusting Thomas. Anything that size, any human, made his hackles rise, the sound of his footsteps sent smoke into his nostrils, his voice made his bones ache, he withered underneath his gaze, no matter how soft it was, and he wouldn’t even venture out of his little box without Patton. 

But eventually, Patton had managed to coax him out to the rest of the house, though only the rooms Thomas wasn’t in, at first, getting him accustomed to the space. He hadn’t been well enough to really fly, yet, though he could manage gliding for very short spurts. 

Patton helped him build the muscles back up, with excersises, helping stretch his wings out to their fullest, making sure he wasn’t overworking them and frustrating himself. 

Once he could actually fly short distances, Patton took him outside, observing him branching, hopping from tree to tree with short glides and flaps in between, then longer flights, through the forest and the nearby fields, showing him his own nest, once he was deemed well enough to safely stay outside. Because he did want to stay outside, he didn’t want to stay in the house, even though he knew Thomas wouldn’t hurt him. Thomas had let him bite him, he’d learned that cup of blood Patton had given him was from Thomas, once he was comfortable enough he wouldn’t panic at the thought. 

He had his own nest now. A cozy little partly hollowed out tree. The hole was high off the ground, a tall, old pine that swayed softly in the wind, soothing him to sleep some days. He’d filled it with soft pine needles and moss, some tiny spiders that ate any mites or bugs that tried to take up residency with him, they liked to cuddle with him, their soft little fury bodies almost making him feel not alone, sometimes, and his blanket from Patton. He hadn’t decorated anything more. It wasn’t home. It was just a place he lived. 

Patton did. His nest was filled with shiny objects, pieces of colored broken glass that he arranged so they caught the light and reflected it in rainbows of color. Beads, charms, pretty rocks, he joked often that Patton looked like a bluebird but acted like a magpie.

He swooped in through the open window in the back room, flying through the house. He’d checked Patton’s nest on his way there, and he wasn’t in, meaning he was here, at the house. Patton spent a lot of time with Thomas, he was endlessly curious about all things human, and sometimes he got scared of the dark, out in his nest. The house was always lit and warmer than outside, so especially during the winter he tended to spend more nights there. Thomas had hung up a little nest box, originally a bird house, inside in the dining room, next to the door to the porch. 

It had been plain, once, but Thomas had helped Patton decorate, painting it a light blue, with curling white swirls, that branched off into small flowers and butterflies. It was all very Patton, and he knew that Patton spent more time in the indoor nest than he did outside. 

He wasn’t in there now, which meant he was in the living room, where he could hear faint noise coming from. He circled up high once, smiling at the scene. Thomas sat on the couch, absently scrolling through his phone, while a movie played on low in the background. Patton was settled on his shoulder, leaning against his cheek, legs tucked under the down of his chest, eyes closed and mouth slightly open as he snored lightly. 

He alit on the table quietly, barely making a noise, Thomas’s eyes flicked up after a moment, doing a double take and setting aside his phone when he registered him there. 

“Virgil. Is everything ok? Are you ok?” The anxiety was clear in Thomas’s voice. He still barely spent any time actually in the house, though he’d mingle with Thomas if he was outside, sometimes, though he was more a loner, except for Patton. Him entering by himself was rare. 

“I’m fine. Everything’s fine.” He answered, about to say more, but Patton stirred, blinking sleepily, face lighting up as he spotted Virgil. 

“Virg!” He nearly fell over at the force of Patton launching himself at him, chuckling and hugging him back as Patton cooed happily. “What are you doing here this late?” 

“Late? It’s early for me, Pat, I’m supposed to be nocturnal. I should ask what you two are still doing up.” He replied, grinning as Patton stuck out his tongue, pulling away. “I do have some news, though.” 

“Good news?” Patton chirped, head tilted, a bit nervous. 

“Yeah. Um. I can’t really say much. But the Naga is ok. He finished shedding, and he’s safe.” Thomas let out a long breath, sinking back into the cushions, and Patton’s face crumbled, pulling him into another tight hug. 

“thank you, thank you, thank you.” 

“Wha… I didn’t do anything, Pat. I’m just the messenger.” 

“I know. But the messenger still deserves hugs because they are an awesome person.” He flushed, whining in protest. 

“also it’s raining. So can I crash with you?” Patton trilled, spinning him in a circle. 

“Sleepover! Come on, Virg, lets go! I can braid your hair, I can, braid your hair, right?” 

“Of course, Pat. Let’s go.”


	9. Chapter 9

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Roman and Janus have a conversation,

Warm. He was warm. He was a thousand pounds lighter and he managed to open his eyes, taking a deep breath in, blinking his vision clear. Vision. He could see, he could see, it was over, it was all over, and he took another deep breath, realizing he was curled against someone, getting his first look at whom he assumed to be Roman. 

He had sharp features, chiseled features, light, almost white hair, tan skin, his clothes a brilliant shining white with hints of gold, a red sash across his chest. As he looked, Roman’s eyes blinked open, fiery orange and swirling gold, just as warm as the rest of him. 

“Hello there. How are you feeling?” 

How was he feeling? He was much less sore, his chest loose, his skin, his scales, were still somewhat sensitive, but that was normal. The fog was gone from his mind, the chills were gone, and he felt almost normal, except for the dim headache pulsing behind his eyes. He was starving, though, and completely parched. When he tried to speak, it came out as a quiet broken hiss. 

“Oh! I’m sorry, here. It’s lemon water with honey, it’ll help your throat.” Roman exclaimed, grabbing a cup off the bedside table, spooning honey into it, before passing the cup to Janus, helping him hold it steady, as his hands shook. He took a deep drink, feeling the honey coat his throat, warm his chest, and after a moment he let Roman set the cup aside. 

“thank you.” He managed, clearing his throat. 

“Of course, darling. Are you up for eating something? You’ve burned a lot of energy.” He nodded, relief in his eyes. 

“yes. Please.” He added, Roman smiling kindly, getting up and fetching something from a storage space. 

“Here we go. Roasted rose hips. Is that alright?” 

“Anything’s alright after what the humans tried to feed me.” He muttered, taking a huge bite of the rose hip, closing his eyes and savoring the slightly nutty flavor, mouth watering at the taste of good, whole, actual, food. “oh, this is heaven.” He mumbled, taking another bite and forcing himself to chew slowly, so he wouldn’t make himself sick. He knew from experience that eating too much too fast, especially after a shed, when his whole body was sensitive, would easily make him sick. “No class, any of them.” He looked up at Roman’s soft snort of laughter, though he quickly schooled his expression into one of innocent contriteness. 

“I’d tend to agree, most of the time. Remus would say all of the time, but to be fair, I’m not sure what his standards for self respect are. There are… some good ones, out there, though.” He tensed, at those words, fear biting into his heart. Roman and Remus hadn’t told the ones who had come looking for him he was here. He hadn’t told Thomas he was here. He was safe, he had to be safe, he couldn’t do that again, he couldn’t go through it again, he couldn’t-

“Hey, hey, it’s ok, it’s ok, Janus. Take a deep breath, ok?” He managed one, though his hands shook, his nails digging into his skin. “I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to upset you. Is it… ok if I touch?” He hesitated, honestly, he didn’t know if that would make this better or worse. “that’s ok. I’d like to make this clear. Me and Remus do know Thomas. We both trust him, to know about us, to know about “tinies” as the humans classify anything smaller than them, and we trust him to help those that are hurt, or have been hurt and abused by other humans.  
That does not change this current arrangement. We haven’t told Thomas or any of the others associated with him that you are here. We will not, if those are your wishes. You do not have to ever see or speak to him, or Patton, or anyone else, if you don’t want to. You are free to leave whenever you like, we will help you settle in somewhere if you want, or you can just leave and strike out on your own.  
I am duty bound to protect you, Janus. In whatever way you would like me to do that, I will.” He felt Roman slowly reach out, and take his hand. Though he shivered, he didn’t pull away. 

“You… trust Thomas?” He asked slowly. 

“Yes.” 

“Why?” He asked sharply. Roman sighed. 

“Patton was the first one. The Sparrow. He was distracted by a butterfly, and flew straight into Thomas’s window. He was concussed, obviously, and had broken a wing. Thomas found him, brought him inside. Patton was scared, terrified. But Thomas didn’t hurt him. Did some google research, bound his wing, explained what he was doing every step of the way, waiting for Patton to say it was ok before continuing. Took care of him, till he was better. Then he let him go.” Janus’s eyes widened, and his lungs constricted. 

“Let him go?” 

“yeah. No threats, no ‘you owe me’ no expectation of ever seeing Patton ever again, just let him go. Never tried to cage him, the whole time he’d been healing. Had given Patton free range of the house. Put in that little cat door, so Pat could get in and out on his own, never told him or implied or threatened him if he left. Just said he didn’t recommend taking the bandages off yet, didn’t recommend trying to fly, didn’t recommend going back to the woods, but never demanded he not. Patton always had a choice, always had a way out, always could go, whenever he wanted.   
You’ve seen Patton. He’s adorable, his coloring is perfect, he’s all chirpy, it’s what every human wants in a pet.” Roman spat the word, “It would have been so, so easy, all Thomas would have had to do is put Patton in a box, a cage, and close it up, and he could have sold him for a fortune.   
But he didn’t. Never even thought of it, really. Made friends with Patton, instead. Treated him like a person, like he’d treat a full sized person, without even thinking twice about it.  
So I trust him. You can trust him, if you want to try.” Janus let out another deep breath, in and out. 

“He’s helped others.” He said more than asked, and Roman nodded. 

“Yes. Not everyone has stayed, of course. Patton is the closest, with Thomas, but he’s also generally very friendly. Virgil is a Bat, I… don’t know his story. He doesn’t talk about it, much, whatever happened. I know it was bad, it involved humans, he lost his entire colony and would have died, had Thomas not found him. Me and Remus settled here after our previous forest was cut down, to make way for more houses. Remus tends to shun any interaction with Thomas, I don’t think he’s spoken to him more than twice. I don’t mind him, but I don’t actively seek him out. Usually if he needs our help with someone, he comes to find us. Logan is a nature fae. I don’t know when he got here, or if he’s always been here, or if he was drawn here by the energy of the place, so many of us, in such a small area, interacting and living peacefully with a human. He interacts with Thomas more than we do, he’s interested in the human world, in everything, really, and Thomas is just as curious. They talk all night, sometimes.   
Others have came and went. Talyn, Joan, Andy, Gavin, to name a few. Mostly Sparrows. A couple Borrowers.   
Generally, word has spread that if one of us is sick or hurt or needs help, this is a safe spot, and Thomas is a safe human.   
Sometimes other humans who know of an abused tiny or are worried about one, reach out to him, asks him to intervene, if he can.   
That’s how he knew you were there, at that shop. A friend of a friend told him you were in trouble, so he went and got you. He would never hurt, never on purpose. The only reason they even looked for you is because you were in such a bad state when you left. Otherwise they would have simply let you vanish.   
And no one has come looking since that first night.   
They’re safe, all of them. I promise.” 

It was… a lot. 

He didn’t know Thomas had intentionally sought him out, just to try and help him. He didn’t understand why a human would care so much. Why one would go out of his way just to let him go.

The other tinies could be lying. Could be being used and manipulated and abused into saying they liked and trusted and wanted to help by Thomas. It all could just be an elaborate set up. 

But elementals would never be fooled that easily, and would never trust a human, unless their intentions were completely pure. As Roman had said, they were duty bound to protect the creatures associated with their elements, for Roman to put Janus in danger intentionally would go against his very nature. And while fae were more fickle, and less reliable, a solitary nature fae associating with a human without trying to force a deal or steal his name was enough to peak his interest. 

And… before he’d panicked and run off, Thomas and Patton had seemed nice enough. 

Now that his shed was over, now that he wasn’t sick and weak and half blind, now that he was getting back to full strength, he felt a bit more confident. And if Roman were with him, he wouldn’t be nearly as scared, knowing that an elemental could easily take down a human. 

“ok. Ok…” He took a deep breath, forcing his muscles to relax, his hands running up and down his tail, the smooth feeling of his scales soothing him. “I would… like to meet him, I think. Properly.” 

“Alright. I’ll size up and carry you, if that’s ok, otherwise it’s a bit of a long trek. Are you sure you’re feeling up for it?” He hesitated, thinking, letting out a puff of air. 

“no. Should probably wait another day.” He muttered. Of course now that he knew he’d be safe, interacting with this weird human was all he wanted to do, but he was still tired, and a bit sore, and hungry. Another day to get the rest of his strength back and then he could see what the fuss was all about. 

“Ok. Here, I’ll go out and get us some fresh food, if you don’t mind staying here alone for a bit.” 

“Where’s Remus?” He asked, realizing the other elemental was missing. Roman just shrugged and smiled sheepishly. 

“Honestly, no idea. I barely manage to keep track of him when he’s in the house, much less when he goes out. But if he gives you any trouble, let me know and I’ll deal with it.” Roman added with a wink, to let him know Remus wouldn’t actually cause any harm. 

He coiled up on the bed once more, wrapping the blanket around his shoulders. 

“I’ll be fine.” With another soft smile and a small wave, Roman slipped out the well disguised door in the tree, as he snuggled deeper, sighing as he fell back asleep.


	10. Chapter 10

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Remus gets a scolding and Janus makes a decision.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> SHE LIIIIIVES

“You told him WHAT?!” He woke to Roman’s shout, blinking open his eyes, though he stayed nestled under the blanket. 

“Take it easy, bro, it’s not like I actually told them anything-“ 

“You told VIRGIL to tell PATTON and THOMAS that WE HAVE HIM?! I literally just promised him we hadn’t done that exact thing, Remus.” Roman fumed. 

“…oops?” Roman growled, and Janus could feel him pacing the floor.

“Oops. That’s what you have to say for yourself, for breaking his trust, for breaking OUR WORD that he would be safe and we wouldn’t tell them anything?! I understand the impulse, I do, but for Gaia’s sake, Remus couldn’t you use your head for once in your life!? I don’t care how guilty you felt, you can’t just trade away his security for your own conveniance!” Roman shouted, and Janus decided to move, sitting up, though he kept the blanket around his shoulders. 

“Roman. It’s… alright.” He said softly, most of the anger melting away as Roman turned to him, though he was still pulsing with energy. 

“I’m sorry. I know I shouldn’t have, but you know Patton was having a breakdown about it, and I know you hate seeing him upset just as much as I do.” Remus pleaded with Roman, who scowled. 

“It still wasn’t right.” He muttered. 

“It wasn’t. But it’s a moot point now, anyways.” Remus looked between them, brow raised, and Janus coiled a bit tighter, nervous. “I… want to meet them. Roman was going to bring me. So, even if you hadn’t told them, that would have gave it away.” He answered, Remus nodding slowly. 

“Ok. When are we going?” 

“We? Since when do you associate with Thomas? Roman scoffed, and Remus’s eyes narrowed. 

“Since I fucked up and told them about Janus. Besides, someone’s gotta keep them in line, and you know nothing sets them on edge like an appearance by yours truly.” Remus answered with a sharp toothed grin. Roman groaned. 

“Fine, whatever, not like I can stop you. Just please behave, we’re trying not to start a fight.” 

“Boo, party pooper!” Remus called, making Janus snort. It seemed impossible to stay mad at Remus, when he’d had good intentions. And he seemed dedicated to making up for it by making sure he was safe, felt safe. Really, the fact that Roman had been so incredibly upset and angry over it reassured him again that he wasn’t just saying that he wanted to protect him, he actually meant it. 

“Are you feeling up for a trip?” Roman asked, and Janus nodded. 

“I’ll be alright.” He answered, though Roman shot him a sharp look, something in his voice must have given away the slight hesitation he was feeling. It wasn’t about the trip itself, exactly. It was more the means of travel. Because Roman would have to be big, was going to be big. 

And the memories he had of big, didn’t end well.  
…  
They went outside, and Roman closed his eyes. Janus swallowed hard, as he watched him grow, and grow, and grow, until he was huge, a million times his size, as big as any human. 

He gulped, slithering backwards, hitting the base of the tree, trying to steady his breathing, trying to keep himself in the present. 

It had been a simple trap, that got him. He hadn’t watched carefully enough where he was going, hadn’t seen the sticks that covered the trigger, hadn’t noticed the wire, until he slithered over it and heard the pressure plate snap, and the mesh wire closed around him, lifting him up into the air, trapping him in a net. He’d hissed and fought and tore at it, bit at it, but all he got for his struggles were an endless amount of cuts, his hands torn to shreds from cutting wire. 

When the humans had finally come to check the trap, he’d been too exhausted to fight, to do anything, as that huge face peered down at him from the top of the net, whistling lowly and congratulating their partner on their catch, already appraising and calculating how much money he was no doubt going to bring in, his coloration so brilliant and rare. 

He’d been shoved into a box, still in the net, that was too dark and too small, and by the time they got to the buyer, he could barely breathe because the idiots hadn’t cut any holes in the box for him to get air. 

He knew he’d been handled. It had been rough, and bruised his chest, their hands squeezing too tight, as he tried to wriggle free, striking at anything and everything, though his movements were sluggish and slow as they shone light in his eyes, forced open his mouth, hung him in another metal basket to weigh him, then pressed him down and shoved a needle in him, agony shooting through him from the injection, some sort of vaccine, probably, and he blacked out. When he woke again, it was in a small, plastic container on a shelf full of other small plastic containers, holding all kinds of other tinies, some kind of distributing center, no doubt. He could barely see any of them, the plastic was frosted, the warehouse dim, all he could taste was the aura of despair that hung heavy in the air. 

He didn’t know how long they’d kept him there, taking him out every so often to treat his hands, the cuts all over his body. He’d fight and hiss and bite every time, but it did nothing, to stop them. They just laughed, or cursed, calling him a fighter, a wild one, until the day they took his plastic container, shoved it in the back of a van, and delivered him to the pet store. 

They had been cruel, in a cold, disconnected kind of way. None of them cared that he was a sentient, thinking being, that he had a life, that he could think for himself, that he wanted out! They just saw him as an animal, a particularly troublesome one, because he wouldn’t just give in to the captivity, he wouldn’t break down and just be submissive, he wouldn’t stop fighting. 

So when Roman’s hand came down towards him, he hissed, coiling tighter, fangs bared. Instantly, Roman stopped, slowly withdrawing his hand, and kneeling, making himself as small as he could be, while remaining the same actual size. 

“hey. It’s ok, Janus. It’s just me, it’s ok.” He murmured softly, slowly extending his hand once more, letting it rest palm up on the ground. Remus scampered onto his hand easily, beckoning Janus forwards encouragingly. 

“If he’s not gonna crush me, he’s definitely not gonna crush you, snakey. Hop on.” He said, patting the hand. 

“Wow, very encouraging, Remus, I’m sure that put him at ease.” Roman snarked back, rolling his eyes. Which… oddly did make him feel better. Because it was, still Roman, a big Roman, but just Roman. 

Slowly, he slithered forwards, wincing as he curled tight on Roman’s hand, hiding his head in his coils as Roman shifted to standing, the motion sending nausea spinning through his stomach. 

“Easy, snakey. It’s alright. Just take some deep breaths.” Remus said softly, cautiously wrapping his arms around him, steadying him against the swaying motion of Roman’s walking. “It’s only a few minutes’ walk, this way.” And that should settle him, but it just made him more nervous, because at the end of this road was an actual human, not just a human sized elemental. Remus’s steady touch did help soothe him, though, and he found himself peeking out of his coils at the passing woods, eyes widening as they reached the edge, stepping out into bright sunlight. 

Instinctivley, he uncurled, letting the sun soak into his scales, god, it felt so good, he’d been out in it for only a few minutes, with Patton, and that warmth had quickly been lost as he fled. Now it was soaking into his skin, and he wanted nothing more than to stretch out and loll in it, until he fell asleep. He glanced up, feeling Roman’s eyes on him. 

“sorry. Didn’t mean to stare. Just… could feel your contentment, with the warmth. I’ll make sure you’re safe, later, if you want to bask.” He flushed, looking away, though he nodded. 

“I’d… like that.” He mumbled back, Remus squeezing his shoulder in support. He hesitated, then surprised even himself as instead of continuing to ride on his hand, he slithered up his arm, coiling on his shoulder, tail wrapping in Roman’s shirt to keep himself steady, one hand on Roman’s neck to keep his balance. Roman stiffened for a moment, in surprise, before relaxing again, Janus settling closer to his neck, soaking in Roman’s warmth and safety, as they stepped onto the back patio of the house. 

“Are you sure you’re ready for this?” Roman said softly, consious of how loud he must be, to Janus right now. 

“no. but it don’t think I’ll ever be.” He answered, flinching as Roman knocked, Remus hopping off his hand and growing himself, standing beside Roman, clearly ready to fight and defend, if he needed to. 

He drew back further as the door opened, Thomas clearly taken aback at the two elementals on his doorstep. 

“Oh. Hi… guys. What’s going on?” He asked. 

“If you fucking hurt him at all in any way I will rip out your spleen and stuff it back down your throat.” Remus hissed. “That said, I’ll be watching! Have a nice visit.” Remus vanished into a puff of mist, though no doubt he didn’t go far, lingering somewhere nearby, in case his threat needed to be carried out. 

“oookay. So what was that about?” He asked. Janus took a deep breath, slipping back down Roman’s arm, onto his hand, just barely meeting Thomas’s eyes before looking away, trying not to tremble. 

“hi.”


	11. Chapter 11

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The talk goes well.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So this is the end! Tadaaaa!

Thomas froze. He didn’t want to scare the naga away again, but he had to say something and honestly, he hadn’t expected to ever see the little guy again. Roman cleared his throat, snapping him back to the present. 

“Right, yeah, um, hi! Do you guys wanna… come in?” he asked awkwardly, stepping aside, allowing Roman to come through the door. “Um, Patton and Virgil are here, they had a sleepover last night, so they’re probably still asleep. I’ll go check on them. Do you guys wanna take a seat in the living room?” Roman looked to Janus, who nodded, Roman smiling thinly up at Thomas. 

“Sure. Try and keep Patton from coming in too hot.” He said softly, walking into a room with a couch and coffee table, sitting down on the couch. “Do you want down?” He nodded again, letting Roman set him down on the coffee table, though he shivered slightly, at how open it was, how exposed, coiling nervously around himself. 

He hissed slightly, as a shadow fell over him, wincing as Patton landed on the opposite end of the table, Virgil following a moment later, sticking close to Patton. He hadn’t actually met the naga before, and was a bit warry of him. 

Janus took a moment to look over the two of them. He hadn’t exactly been able to see clearly, last time he interacted with Patton, and the Bat was new, though he knew it was one of the two whom had come looking for him. 

Patton really was quite adorable, fluffy and bluebird speckled wings, bright blue eyes and gently curling hair that looked just as soft as his fluffy down. Virgil, too, was covered in soft brown fur, though obviously he had no feathers, his wings tucked against his sides. His eyes were dark and guarded, his large ears tucked low against his head. 

He jumped again as Thomas reentered the room, eyes jumping from the other two tinies to him, unable to take his eyes off the human, feeling like his breath was caught in his throat, trapped in his lungs, a sudden wave of fear cresting over him like a tidal wave.

What the hell was he doing? 

He was in a human home, in a human’s living room, the human in question was right there, was fully aware of his presence, was looking directly at him, could snag him in a single motion, could shove him back in a box without a second thought, could rip him apart, and he had no cover, nowhere to hide, nowhere to go, he was exposed and vulnerable and why the hell had he thought this was a good idea?

“Kiddo?” He snapped back to Patton, at his quiet voice, realizing he’d started to tremble, the tip of his tail just barely twitching, his posture rigid and tense, ready to flee or spring, he didn’t know which. “are you ok?” He hesitated, nodding, wincing as Patton took a step towards him, relaxing somewhat at Roman’s low warning rumble, his warmth flaring out slightly to encompass Janus, a silent show of support, of protection. 

“I’m… sorry. For running off, like I did.” He said softly, not meeting anyone’s eyes.

“Oh, sweetie, we’re just glad you’re ok. I understand perfectly, why you ran off. And I’m so sorry. We were trying to help, but we went about it in the wrong way, we should have asked, especially given your circumstances, I should have realized how stressful and scary it would be, knowing someone had looked at you. But I need you to know, even if you don’t believe it, that none of us would ever, ever, hurt you, on purpose.” He nodded, slowly. Patton was right, that he didn’t believe it, not fully, anyway, but it was hard to deny the earnestness on the Sparrow’s face. Then again, it’s not really the sparrow he’s worried about, as his eyes shot to Thomas at his slightest movement, coiling back further, and tighter, heart pounding. 

“sorry. My leg was falling asleep.” The human said, looking rather sheepish, rubbing the back of his neck, before clearing his throat. “I get if you don’t want to share this, but, um, do you know, what area you’re from? If you have a family, or someone there, that you were taken from, we can try and get you back home.” He scrutinized Thomas for a moment, the soft nervousness on his face, the hesitation there. Thomas seemed almost as scared, if not more so, than he himself was, about this interaction. He clearly didn’t want to frighten him off again, but didn’t know where the bounderies were, though he was trying his best to respect them, giving him an out of every question, being careful to mostly avoid direct eye contact, keeping his hands mostly either on his lap or tucked behind his back, as if he knew that moving them would make him flinch back more, the fear of being grabbed and shoved back in a box still stuck in the forefront of his mind. Really, the effort Thomas was putting in to trying to act and seem non threatening and reassuring was almost more calming than the body language itself was. He’d never seen or heard of a human, trying so hard to be so kind. Never heard of a human that went out of their way to rescue and help tinies. Never heard of a human who let them come and go as they please, whenever they please, treating them like actual people, actually caring, and his cynical mind screamed at him it was too good to be true. 

But his heart was tired, and the answer to this question wouldn’t have any meaningful fallout, even if this still somehow turned out to be an elaborate ruse, which was getting less and less likely by the second, as he realized almost a minute had passed in silence, staring at Thomas, and no one had pushed him to say a single word, no one had intruded and demanded to know what he was thinking, Thomas was barely breathing in an effort to stay still and not startle him again. 

“No. I… don’t really know, where they caught me. If I were near, I’d recognize it, but it’s just… woods. It doesn’t… really matter. It was just me.” 

“Still, if you’d feel safer in familiar territory, I can try and puzzle it out. It wouldn’t have been too far from the store, so there’s only a number of forests it could be.” Thomas offered, and he shook his head, barely biting back a harsh laugh. 

“Safe. How would I ever feel safe, there? Knowing there’s traps, knowing there’s hunters, knowing they’ll just shove me back in a cage, and I wouldn’t have the will this time, to fight it, I’d end up some pathetic human’s pet,” he spit the word with bitter resignation “or I’d be such a nuisance they wouldn’t be able to sell me, and they’d opt to, what’s the phrasing for it, oh yes, ‘put me down’.” His voice had lost some of it’s heat, and he realized he was struggling to breathe, past the pain in his chest, the old ache of remembered fear. “they were getting close to it, when you got me, I’d heard them talking, so stupid, as if I couldn’t understand them, as if it didn’t make me even more reckless and vicious, knowing they’d taken me from my home just to kill me, and they wondered why I wouldn’t behave, why I was so ungrateful, to have such a nice, safe, place, to live.” He was shaking, he realized, tears dripping down his face, of dull, desperate anger. 

“oh, honey, that’s awful.” Patton near whispered, his own face pale from shock, Virgil looked little better, a cross between violent rage and like he’s about to be sick. 

“It’s what I get, for being such an unobservant idiot.” He hissed out, wincing as Patton stepped closer, just a bit, though he immediately put his hands up in surrender, his wings tucked back to make himself as small as he could seem. 

“it isn’t your fault. You couldn’t have known. And it’s not ok, it really, really isn’t. And it’s ok to not be ok, right now, you’re going through so much. But you’re so brave, kiddo. And you’re so strong, and so smart, and none of what you went through could possibly have ever been deserved.” With each sentence, Patton cautiously stepped closer, until he was standing right before him, those blue eyes soft and warm, his own cheeks damp from tears. “you did everything right, kiddo. You did everything right, it was just bad luck.” Slowly, Patton reached out, and though he winced out of instinct, at the initial contact, after a tense moment, when no pain came, only gentle warmth, he let himself lean into the hand resting on his shoulder, slowly coming forwards to close the space between them, letting Patton wrap his arms around him, in a gentle hug.

It was soft and warm, in a way completely unlike Roman's radiating heat, this was subtler, softer. He could feel Patton's feathers, tickling his cheek, his heartbeat fluttering against his chest, his soft inhales and exhales, as he slowly relaxed completely against Patton. 

“There you go, kiddo. Let it out. Its ok.” Patton murmured, rubbing his back, brushing against where skin turned to scales, but instead of tensing he noodled, because the touch was so soft and light and felt so damn good. He nearly whined, when after a long minute Patton pulled back, stepping aside, though he kept a hand on his, beckoning the bat forwards.

“Uh. Hi. We haven’t really met, yet. I’m Virgil. I… know, how horrible humans can be. I lost… everything, because of them. But Thomas… he’s a good one. Even though he’s a clueless moron, most of the time.” That got a soft chuckle from Thomas, which surprised him. He’d expect a human to be angry, being spoken of like that. Thomas shrugged, catching his gaze.

“He’s not wrong. I tend to let my heart get the best of me, and not use my head.”

“that’s an understatement.” Roman grumbled, making him crack a small smile. The elemental had been sitting quietly the whole time, but his eyes were watchful, keeping a close watch on everything to make sure no one hurt or upset him.

“anyway, just… I’m sorry, I guess. I was pretty pissed at how they handled it, too, so, yeah.” Virgil finished, ears flicking nervously as he offered a small smile.

“I…thank you. All… all of you. For trying, so hard, to help me. I… don’t understand, why, why do you all… care, so much?” he asked, voice shaking, Patton squeezing his hand, Virgil pulling him into a tentative hug, wrapping his wings tight around them both, like a soft, living cocoon.

“We all know, how scary it all is. We’ve all felt it. We don’t want anyone else to feel that way, all alone. Whatever you need, we’ll do our best to give it.” Virgil murmured, squeezing him once, before letting go and stepping back, a slight blush on his face. Then he turned to Thomas.

“why?” he asked, meeting Thomas’s eyes, barely trembling, with Patton and Virgil at his side.

“Humans… did this to you. I know it wasn’t me, obviously. But it was still humans, who think they’re better and more intelligent, and more important, just because they’re bigger. It isn’t right, to treat you like an animal, like a pet, it’s… it’s monstrous, and it infuriates me that this is allowed and normal and expected, it frustrates me that it’s legal and as hard as we’re trying to fight for tinies to have any sort of rights, the movement is getting nowhere.  
It doesn’t seem like much, I know. But every one of you I help, is someone I know is out there and safe, is a little bit of the damage repaired, is a tiny mend in the giant tapestry of wrongness. And if someone is hurting or in trouble, why wouldn’t I help? Why should it be any different based on someone’s size? Why should I need a reason, to care?”

“no one else seems to have one. None of the humans, at the shop…cared, and they saw me hurting, more than anyone else. They could have done something.”

“They did. One of them did, anyway. They called me. Because they knew I could get you out, and get you safe. And I’m sorry, that I failed at the second half.” He found himself slowly shaking his head.

“I… don’t think you did. Not really. I… think I would like to stay, with Roman and Remus, for now. But I wouldn’t mind… any of you visiting. Or… spending time. With you. I don’t want… to be alone." He was on the verge of tears again, not helped as Patton hugged him with his wings.

“you won’t be. You don’t have to be, kiddo.” He murmured softly, gently wiping away his tears.

“Janus. That’s my name.” He blurted out, feeling everyone freeze at his admission. 

“Janus. Thank you, Janus. It means a lot, that you shared that with us. With me.” Thomas spoke first, a grin spreading slowly across his face, causing him to flush slightly.

“Can we…” He stopped, shaking his head. It didn’t matter. 

“What is it, kiddo?” Patton asked softly. 

“Can we go outside?” He asked quietly. “I want to talk, still, but I don’t like it in here. It’s too…” He didn’t know what it was, exactly. Claustrophobic, maybe? But that didn’t make sense, there was too much space, for it to feel small. 

“Oh, of course. I’ll get the picnic blanket, and we can all chill, out there.” Thomas answered immediately, though he made no move to get up. “Um. Do you guys wanna head out first? I don’t wanna move if that’ll… be bad.” Janus smiled smally, at how willing he was to do whatever he could, to make him feel comfortable. 

“yeah. That’s probably smart.” He didn’t flinch this time, as Roman lowered his hand and he slithered onto it, coiling his tail around Roman’s wrist to keep himself steady, as they walked out the backdoor, Roman sitting down as smoothly as he could on the grass, before lowering him to the ground. 

A few moments later, Patton and Virgil came flying out of the house, landing on the grass beside them, Thomas emerging a few seconds later, carefully spreading a large blanket across the ground. 

He found this time, he wasn’t scared of Thomas. He was ready for this conversation. He was… okay. 

He felt ok.


End file.
